1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a testboard for an IC tester and, in particular, to a testboard for an IC tester which connects an IC tester and an auto-handler.
2. Background Art
Testboards for IC testers lie between a device 16 being tested and a pin card 3, comprise a base unit 1 and a DUT unit 2 as shown in FIGS. 4-6 and are used to connect an IC tester and an auto-handler. FIGS. 4A and 4B are structural diagrams of the conventional art, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the conventional art, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a view of the conventional art as seen from the direction of arrow VI of FIG. 5.
In FIGS. 4A and 4B, base unit 1 comprises base board 5 on which first connector 6 is mounted, and cable harness 8 which has a second connector 7 and a third connector 9 at respective ends.
Pogo pin 4 is mounted on pin card 3 and base board 5 is connected to pin card 3 by pressing (as indicated by the arrow E in the figure) pogo pin 4 into a pogo pin connector (omitted from the figure) which is provided on the lower surface of the base board 5. First connector 6 is mounted on base board 5, and first connector 6 engages second connector 7 of cable harness 8.
On the other hand, DUT unit 2 comprises connector card 11 on which fourth connector 10 is mounted, socket board 14 on which IC socket 15 is mounted, and cable 13 which is connected between connector card 11 and socket board 14. As indicated by the numbers 12 in FIG. 4A, one end of cable 13 which is a component of DUT unit 2 is connected to connector 11 and the other end is connected to socket board 14.
By means of this structure, it is possible to exchange DUT unit 2 so as to correspond with the different varieties of device 16 to be measured, by separating the base unit 1 and the DUT unit 2 between the third connector 9 and the fourth connector 10 (as indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 4B).
In addition, it is possible to conduct maintenance on pin card 3 and first connector 6 by means of separating pin card 3 and base unit 1 between pogo pin 4 and pogo pin connector (omitted from the Figure) (at the position indicated by the arrow D in FIG. 4B).
Furthermore, by means of using cable 13 which is a component of DUT 2, it is possible to change the signal destination, and thereby obtain correspondence for a variety of different devices 16 being tested.
However, the above-mentioned conventional testboard for an IC tester has, for example, the following problems.
(1) The conventional DUT unit 2 comprises connector card 11 on which fourth connector 10 is mounted, socket board 14 on which IC socket 15 is mounted, and cable 13 which is connected to connector card 11 and socket board 14 by means of solder. The unit modulated in this way is housed in the box 17 as shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, and thereby the DUT unit 2 is constructed.
Consequently, the DUT unit 2 is large, heavy and difficult to construct, as a result, separation and exchange is not easy, and, for example, separation and exchange require many people.
(2) As shown in FIG. 4B and FIG. 6, first connector 6 is mounted on base board 5 which extends over the whole of base unit 1. Therefore, when carrying out maintenance of the base unit 1, exchange of the first connector 6 which is mounted on this kind of large base board 5 requires time and effort and is not simple.
(3) The connection of connector card 11 with socket board 14 which is a component of DUT unit 2 is by means of cable 13 which is connected at both ends by means of solder, and, in addition, the connection of base board 5 which is a component of base unit 1 with pin card 3 is conducted by means of pogo pin 4 (FIG. 4 and FIG. 6). Consequently, in the signal system, there are a large number of connection points like pogo pin 4 and solder connection 12, and it is difficult to realize, in particular, high speed transmission of high frequency signals. As a result, the reliability and transmittability of high frequencies is reduced.
(4) In order to obtain correspondence with a variety of different devices 16 being tested, it is necessary to change the arrangement of connecting signals.
An object of the present invention is the provision of a testboard for an IC tester for which it is simple to separate and exchange the DUT unit in accordance with different devices being tested, the maintainability of the base unit is improved, the reliability and transmittability of high frequency signals at connection points are improved, and, in addition, which uses a cable harness for which the arrangement of connecting signal can be changed.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the present invention is a testboard for an IC tester which comprises a base unit and a DUT unit, and lies between the device being tested and a pin card.
In the present invention, the above-mentioned base unit 21 of the testboard for an IC tester comprises sixth connector 24 which engages fifth connector 23 which is mounted on pin card 3; base card 25 on which sixth connector 24 is mounted and which is divided into sections, one for each sixth connector 24; and cable harness 27 which comprises seventh connector 26 and eighth connector 28 at respective ends, and for which the connection destination in which seventh connector 26 engages sixth connector 24 which is mounted on the above-mentioned base card 25 is changeable.
The above-mentioned DUT unit 22 comprises socket board 14 on which ninth connector 29 which engages eighth connector 28 of cable harness 27 is mounted; and which comprises IC socket 15.
By means of the present invention, since the DUT unit 22 comprises only socket board 14 and does not have a cable arrangement, the DUT unit 22 can be small and light weight, construction is easy, separation and exchange of the DUT unit is simple, and by means of a socket board 14 having a different pattern, it is possible to achieve correspondence for a variety of different devices 16 being measured.
In addition, since sixth connector 24 is mounted on base card 25 which is divided, the maintainability of base unit 21 is improved, and pogo pins and solder connections 12 are unnecessary, therefore, connection points are reduced and the reliability and transmittability of high frequency signals is improved. Furthermore, since connections are made via cable harness 27 for which it is possible to change connection destinations between socket board 14 and pin card 3, it is possible to change the arrangement of connecting signals.